Tuesday, June 02, 2015

LA! LA! SO FAR RAY MADE DOUGH ON A MAJOR SCALE WHILE DRINKING TEA WITH ME!




Gympie State High School....circa 1959

For a period of five years, twice a week after school I went to another school conducted in a large downstairs room in the home of my piano teacher, Miss Alice Gidley. I wasn’t her only student, of course. Many other Gympie children throughout the years wandered in and out her doors.

Miss Gidley taught us the Major Scale; the seven-note diatonic musical scale; “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do” (Eight, if you insist on insisting because “Do” is repeated on a higher level. Look closely - there are only seven original notes; but now I’m getting carried away on a major scale). 

Once we had the foundation down pat we moved onto melody and chords, whether major, minor, augmented, diminished, half-diminished, or just jumbled up.  It depended upon the number of hours spent practicing at home what we’d been taught by the ever-diligent, always patient Miss Gidley how disorderedly our muddle - our playing was.  

We were thrilled when we mastered Beethoven's "Für Elise" and his poignantly evocative "Moonlight Sonata, along with Debussy's hauntingly beautiful "Clair De Lune" - as well as the other classical compositions placed before us. Our fingers tripped over each other in the learning process.

Examination time came around all too quickly.  My nerves and the nerves of my fellow partners in crime were frazzled and our adrenaline flowed.  Somehow - someway - I must have done enough practice because I always did well in my music exams. Not that it counted for much, it appears.  These days I can’t play a note, let alone chopsticks (although the scales I'm sure I could still master - I think!)  

After my mother passed away, Nana gave our wonderful old German iron-frame upright piano to a childcare/kindergarten centre in Mackay.  

Originally, in the early part of the 20th Century, the piano had been a wedding gift to Nana and our grandfather on their wedding day.  It had belonged to an aunty of my grandfather. The aunty, I learned from Nana, had been a piano teacher.  Old though it was, our piano was in good "nick" and it had a rich tone.  Our old piano held a great many stories between and behind its ebony and ivory keys. I’m sure many of Mackay’s youngsters enjoyed fun times sitting at and around it.  I often wonder if it still exists.  Wonders do happen…

Each Christmas Miss Gidley hosted a party for her students. We had to perform either a piano piece or a comical interlude;  or both. Miss Gidley spent a lot of  the dough she earned from giving her piano lessons on those parties.

When I was attending Gympie State High School doing Commercial and Home Science studies, an hour or two each week was set aside for a music class – not piano – but singing lessons.  I must have been absent during those classes; not physically, but certainly in spirit because I still sing off-key…way off!  The key went missing, never to be found. Not once did it turn the lock enabling me to make some dough out of singing! 

Mr. Albert Leadbetter was our singing teacher. A pompous fuddy-duddy he approached the lessons seriously.  I doubt any of my fellow classmates returned the favour. I know I, for one, didn’t.  With his immaculately groomed, short back and sides, slicked-down hair, bow tie and braces how could anyone expect a roomful of teenage girls to contain their mirth? We tried our best; we really did, but he did himself no favours, particularly when he, stern of face, waved a baton about the place as if he was conducting the Vienna "Girls" Choir!

Week after week he tried, fruitlessly, to have us sing in tune about a poor harmless lark whose future was doomed. Albert Leadbetter probably didn’t know “Alouette, Gentille Alouette”, when translated into English, is about threatening to pluck an innocent lark. That’s not a lark – it’s a sick song with cruel intent. 

He also had us singing about someone called “Marguerita” or similar; Margie was fond of collecting seashells along the seashore. I can’t remember the song; I think it originated from across The Ditch.  Boringly he kept teaching us songs that inspired little interest.

D’oh! No wonder he lost our attention. 

Mr. Leadbetter had time off because he fell ill (not life-threatening) - so Miss Jeanette Ryan, our Math teacher stood in.  Miss Ryan taught us Guy Mitchell’s “Singing the Blues”, which certainly helped blow our blues away.

Upon his return, Mr. Leadbetter asked us what song we’d learned during his absence. He wasn’t impressed when we told him we’d learned the latest “Top of the Pops”; and he was even less impressed when we told him how much we’d enjoyed singing the blues. To his horror we asked if he’d like to hear our rendition. He almost ran screaming from the class room, bowtie askew; hair standing on end!

We teenage girls preferred upbeat to what he had us lackadaisically warbling off beat; but, it was back to the “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do” for us - as punishment, probably for being so crass!  He considered us, en masse, low class musical incompetents; he was so passé!

Quick Oatmeal Bread: Preheat oven, 230C. Grind 1c rolled oats in processor.  Combine oatmeal, 1-1/4c whole wheat flour, 2tsp baking powder and 1/2tsp salt. Dissolve 1-1/2tbs honey in 1tbs vegetable/coconut oil; stir in 1c milk (over low heat to dissolve the coconut oil, if needed). Combine both mixtures until soft dough is formed. Form dough into ball; add more flour if needed; place on lightly oiled baking tray; bake, 20mins or so.

Tomato Bread: Combine100g natural yoghurt, 25g tomato paste and 25ml olive oil; add 125ml water; add150g sundried tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped (not semi-dried) and leaves of 1 rosemary sprig. Put 400g strong white flour, 1-1/2tsp salt and 1tsp instant dry yeast in bowl; pour in tomato mix; work to soft dough; leave 10mins; lightly knead on oiled surface, 10secs; return to bowl. Repeat twice more at 10min intervals; then leave 1hr. Pat dough into an oval; roll it tightly like a scroll; roll back and forth on bench; press down ends to taper slightly. Brush lightly with water; roll in polenta; place seam-side down on lined baking tray; cover with cloth; leave 1hr. Slash down centre; bake at 220C, 45mins.

Carrot-Sesame Bread: Grate 175g carrots; add 150ml warm water and 100ml room temp orange juice; stir in 7g sachet yeast; leave 5mins to dissolve; add 25ml olive oil, 450g strong white flour, 50g wholemeal or spelt flour, 2tsp salt and 50g black/white sesame seeds. Mix well to firm-ish dough; leave covered, 10mins. Lightly oil worktop; gently knead dough, 10-12secs; return to bowl; cover; set aside 1hr or until risen by half. Line base and sides of large loaf tin. Dust clean worktop with flour; pat dough into an oblong; roll tightly like a scroll, squeeze ends together as you pick it up; lower, seam-side down, into tin. Cover; leave 1hr. Lightly brush top with wet brush; sprinkle thickly with sesame seeds; cut deep slash down middle; bake at 200C, 50mins.

Cheese-Onion Soda Bread: Preheat oven 220C. Heat 1tbs olive oil in pan; gently fry 1 large sliced onion until translucent, about 10mins. In bowl mix together 450g plain flour and 1tsp bicarb soda; add 150g grated Gruyère/Swiss or Emmentaler, onions and 2tbs sun-dried tomatoes, chopped.  Mix together 300ml yoghurt and 3tbs water; then stir into the flour. Mix with spoon until it comes together to form a soft dough. Turn onto floured surface; knead until smooth dough is formed; shape into a 20cm round. Place onto a baking sheet; mark out wedges with a knife. Bake 30-40mins until gold and bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it’s not ready, turn loaf upside down on baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more.  Serve warm.

Easy Garlic Bread: Soften 1 envelope active dry yeast in 1/4c water. Place in bowl, 1c warm cottage cheese, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 1 unbeaten egg, 1tbs oil, 1tbs dried oregano, 2tsp sugar, 1tsp salt, 1/4tsp baking soda; mix in the yeast liquid; add 2-1/2c plain flour; mix well. Cover with tea towel…let dough rise until doubled in size. Stir down; turn into a greased casserole dish or loaf pan; let rise 30mins. Bake 40mins in preheated 180C oven.

Fig-Hazelnut Bread: Butter 23x9cm (9x3-1/2 inch by 7cm/3-inch deep) loaf pan. Preheat oven 180C/350F.  Combine 250g wholemeal flour, 85g plain flour, 1tsp bicarb soda and 40g soft light-brown sugar; using your fingers rub in 70g cold butter, cubed, until like breadcrumbs; mix in 175g soft dried figs, stem heads removed and 100g blanched out; cool on wire rack.whole hazelnuts. Add 300ml buttermilk; bring everything together with your hands.  This is a sticky dough; no need to knead. Put in the prepared tin; smooth top; sprinkle with oats and sesame seeds; bake 50mins. Leave to cool in tin, 5mins; then turn onto wire rack to cool.


36 comments:

  1. He sounds rather like some of my music teachers. Not winners. Stuck in professions they were grotesquely unsuited to. They weren't happy and neither were we.
    Mind you the religious instruction teachers were often worse.
    A good teacher is such an amazing thing, and a bad one a destructive horror.

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    1. Hi EC...our religious instructor was a Mr. Henry...(in primary school)...and he was our Presbyterian minister. He was a nice, gentle gentleman from memory. And I was pretty used to him because my brother and I always attended Sunday School (a couple of times my brother and his mate got kicked out of Sunday School on a Sunday morning for playing up! lol) -when we were little kids, and Mr. Henry was our minister on Sundays, too.

      I think the classes at school only lasted about 30 mins, first thing every Monday mornings.

      Most of my teachers through the years from primary to high school were good, but old Leadbetter could've been better! lol Looking back, he probably wasn't that old, either!

      Thanks for dropping in. I'd sing you a song, but I've forgotten the words! ;)

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  2. I suppose he was in a cleft stick and left a quavering?

    Our music education was non existent. Poor really but we did not care. The songs we wanted were the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Dylan! That was not on offer.
    I play the wireless very well.
    My aunt had a piano and every child ran their fingers over the keys, always imitating a cat walking over them. Only my best looking niece made it musically.

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    1. Hey Mr. Ad-Man. As I'm older than you and the Beatles, Stones and Dylan weren't around when I was at high school "Singing the Blues" was an equivalent huge hit at the time - so we were thrilled to be singing a popular hit of the day in our school class rather than the other boring songs Leadbetter had us warbling disinterestedly to. lol

      Fortunately, the former artists hit the scene when I was a teenager in the workforce...and then I could really appreciate them freely...and sing along out of tune if I wanted to! ;)

      After a trying to control a class of us he was certainly left a quavering! We'd have put the fear of god in God! Thanks for dropping in. :)

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  3. well it is so fun to read about the two teachers. So different but the memory of them especially old Lead getter (get the pun) Peace

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    1. Hey Miss Kitty. Our teachers certainly did leave an impression on us. Mine did, anyway. I wonder if similar will happen with the children of today....

      By gun! I got the pun!

      Thanks for popping in. :)

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  4. I am impressed with your bread making - I have got to start cooking and baking again!

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    1. Don't be, Sandie...I've not made any of those loaves in my post...nor any dough! lol

      But I must do so...because they sound terrific - and simple!!

      Thanks for coming by.

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  5. I remember all that doh, ray me stuff at school. Our teacher had hand signals to go with them !! Awful, boring stuff !

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  6. Hahahahaha, Helsie! I can just picture it!

    Thanks for popping in. :)

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  7. I wish I had of stayed with playing the piano.

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  8. Me, too, Jerry...but I would've need a piano to do so...and for a few years there I travelled about from town to town, so lugging a piano around with me would've been a bit of a nuisance! I should've taken up guitar...it would've been simpler to carry around with me.

    I play the fool well...and that doesn't take much effort to move around...it goes with me everywhere! :)

    Thanks for coming by. :)

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  9. Music lessons weren't thought of in my family :( Dad played piano accordion, button accordion and harmonica really well. I remember many summer evenings with dad playing while we kids sat around listening (me reading).
    Two of my grandchildren had music lessons and my daughter T had a 'teaching' keyboard in the house so they could practise. They both did well and the younger was able to surprise his other grandmother on her birthday by playing her favourite Fur Elise.

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    1. Hi River...well, I guess because my grandmother played piano, and Mum was a very good pianist...an excellent pianist who, as a child had lessons, but she also played by ear. I mentioned previously how good she was and how she played the piano in a couple of dance bands when my brother and I were children...so even though we had little money to spare in our household...Mum went out to work to support us children...she and Nana thought piano lessons were important for me. They did their utmost to ensure we did without little...I don't how they did it...but they did well.

      Our father never gave any support, monetary or otherwise...everything was done for us by two good, strong women.

      Many fun times were spent around our piano...good memories...of simple times that cost very little, but were worth so much.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  10. Every time we moved around Queensland, my grandmothers piano trundled with us. We could never afford lessons, much like we couldn't afford ballet classes or singing classes either. My mother could play by ear. And eventually she gave it away to my sister in-law who got very good use out of it.

    I don't think you have ever mentioned before Lee that your Mum passed away before your Nan. How old were you?

    Love the bread recipe. I might even do some baking this weekend, being a long one and all.

    Gympie High looked just like every other Queensland high school. In fact that building on the right looks just like our building that burned down at work a few years back.

    I am caught up now. Have a lovely weekend Lee.

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    1. Hi Carol...once we moved to Gympie from Slade Point a few months before my fourth birthday that's where we remained until I moved to Brisbane shortly before I turned 21. My brother and I were born in Rockhampton, but I was just a toddler when we left Rocky for Slade Point.

      As I commented in my response to River...I have no idea how Mum and Nana afforded my piano lessons, but they did...somehow. I learned ballet for a little while, too...but not for very long...the piano lessons took over from the ballet. I never had singing classes other than the ones described in my post...at school...they didn't cost anything.

      I look back now and I realise just how hard those two women worked and how much they must have sacrificed, really...to ensure Graham and I didn't do without too much. It's quite amazing, actually. When you're little you don't realise. We never took anything for granted...we knew we didn't have as much as most of our school mates etc....but it didn't matter. We never felt the desire or need to try to "keep up with the Jones'".

      My mother passed away at the young age of 54 years, Carol...in 1974. Nana passed away at the age of 81, going on 82...in 1976. I was a couple of months short of turning 30 when Mum passed away.

      Gympie High as shown in the pic was the new school. The previous one burned down a couple of years before I attended high school. Actually, my sub-scholarship year - our class room was a dim room beneath the old home science building that had escaped the fire. It had been converted into a class room to accommodate us. I'd not thought of that for a while until you made mention of your building.

      I expect you to email me a couple of slices of that bread on the weekend after you've made it...still warm, please! ;)

      Enjoy your long weekend...relax, listen to some good music and just chill out. Thanks for coming by. :)

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    2. PS....Our old piano started off in Gympie...then it went to Rockhampton; then onto Slade Point via Mackay; and then back to Gympie - and then it finished its life back in Mackay! It was a heavy old thing, too...

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  11. Oh, your breads look just too, too yummy to me on this rainy day.

    When my daughter was nine, we rented a piano so that she might begin lessons. When she was about 12, I advertised for a used piano for her. A lady answered my ad and we bought her Winter piano. When it was delivered, the seat was stuffed to overflowing with old musical scores from the 20's, 30's and 40's. I called the lady to tell her and she said that neither her children or grandchildren were interested in the music or the piano so she was giving all the music to my daughter. What a gift!! My daughter went on to play and compete in piano through college. Her teachers were all disappointed when she chose science instead of the piano as her career path.

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    1. My goodness, Mountain Thyme...what a wonderful find and gift...all that great old sheet music! We had loads of it, too...much-used. I remember going through some of it one day and I found sheet music dated back to around 1918 and thereabouts. It'd been Nana's music.

      All the sheet music was given to my then sister-in-law, my brother's wife and to my dismay a few years later when I asked about its whereabouts I was told she'd tossed it all away! She threw away history!

      I think it's a wonderful thing for a child to do...to learn piano. Even though I no longer play piano, I am glad I had those lessons. In fact, I believe it's good for a child to learn any musical instrument.

      Thanks for coming by...I think you might just have to make some bread to warm you up...what better to have on a rainy day! It's pretty chilly here today with a cold wind a-blowing...I should make some for myself!! :)

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  12. Wish I could play an instrument. I play the fool occasionally...

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    1. Me, too, Cosmo...the fool is all I can play these days...but as I've had years of practice to hone it, I play it well, so that's something to crow about! :)

      Thanks for popping in. :)

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  13. Nice post - and I may have to 'borrow' that cartoon. Music is really important - even if its just singing along in the car after a day at work (I often worded if the people outside the car can hear me - I have to hope not!)

    Cheers - Stewart M - Jakarta (!)

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    1. I willingly give you the cartoon, Stewart...I pinched it! :) Yep...music is important...and don't worry about your singing...you should hear mine! On second thoughts it probably better you don't!!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Are you in Jakarta?

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  14. Thanks for stopping by Lee.....My Health Issues have got me down and I just don;t seem to have the energy to be on the computer very often or even write anything for my blog.....Lots of Business things have taken all the energy I have and then, all I want to do is watch something that will relax me, on the Telly......I appreciate your kind words and your concern.....

    I love all these recipes. If I were still cooking---I might even try one.....But, I'm not doing any of that either......

    Like Stewart, Music is very important to me---being a composer and a singer.....It holds so many wonderful memories for me, plus, there is nothing like music to transport you to all sorts of WONDERFUL places.....I watched The Tony Awards tonight and there were lots of Musical Numbers-----loved it!

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    1. Naomi...I just wanted to say "Hello"....to let you know you're not forgotten...you're in my thoughts. Don't push yourself too much...don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself.

      I cook very simple meals for myself these days...I can't be bothered fiddling around. I did enough of that over the years.

      Music is good for our soul...and our memories are, too. I've only seen bits and pieces of the Tony Awards...I see that Helen Mirren received an award. I hope to be able to see the whole show. I enjoy entertainment award shows. I didn't know you were a composer and a singer...that's wonderful.

      I enjoy relaxing watching the telly, too....and freely admit to doing so. There's nothing at all wrong with doing so. I know that you, like me, enjoy good shows and good movies.

      Take care, Naomi...it's so nice of you to pop in...I do appreciate it. Hugs. :)

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  15. Hehe. Funny photo. I have no talent whatsoever with any musical instrument. Playing the piano or guitar has never been removed in my bucket list though.

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    1. Hi there Lux. I can fiddle...and I can play the fool...but I can no longer play the piano.

      I don't have a bucket list...perhaps I should get one! I've a list of buckets, though!! Thanks for coming by. :)

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  16. I imagine great sadness when your piano was donated? It sounds as if it was a member of the family!

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    1. Hey Lynn...yes...I did feel a great sadness when I learned the piano had been given away. Actually, I was a bit angry that I'd not been asked if I wanted it. I would've said "Yes" at the time...but later when I started moving around from place to place a fair bit I was grateful I didn't have a piano to lug around with me! Sensibility replaced sentiment and I then felt good that a new wave of young children would gain pleasure from it.

      Thanks for coming in. :)

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  17. I can't imagine you hauling around a piano in your travels! I'm the only person in my immediate family who doesn't play an instrument. I can sing, but that's about it.

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    1. Yeah...I can imagine a piano strapped to my back! lol

      You're lucky you can sing...I can't even whistle a tune...not even the slightest hint of a tune!!! Thanks for coming by, RK. :)

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  18. I took lessons as a child but my Mom taught piano and boy, could she play.
    Thank You SO much for the stories and the recipes friend!!
    hughugs

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    1. Hello there, Donna....yes...my mother was a brilliant piano player, too. She had a real talent...it just came naturally to her. I was no match for her, that's for sure.

      Thanks for coming by...I'm glad you enjoy my ramblings. :)

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  19. Poor Mr Lreadbetter! If I had been him, young Lee would have received a spanking for her subordination and she'd have been yelling "Oh! Please stop Mr Leadbetter! Please!".... But seriously, music should be about loveliness and creative expression not drudgery and discipline! So many music teachers got it wrong in those days. Maybe they still do.

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  20. I should have said insubordination but I wrote this comment after returning from the pub. Please forgive me! - As Mr Leadbetter may have often said.

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    1. Hahahahaha! You are a one, Mr. Yorky! Do you have a "Red Room"...a "Punish Room"? Your secret is out! lol

      Thanks for coming by...I think! :)

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